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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23783434">The Sacrifices We Make</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValaSidra/pseuds/ValaSidra'>ValaSidra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bullying, Female Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Female Morality | Patton Sanders, Friendship, Gen, High School</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:02:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,328</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23783434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValaSidra/pseuds/ValaSidra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Trista is finally back home and looking forward to seeing her friends. Yet, not everything is as it seems and she has to make the difficult choice. Does she leave her friends so they can be happy, or does she keep them close for her own happiness?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil &amp; Creativity | Roman &amp; Logic | Logan &amp; Morality | Patton &amp; Thomas Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Sacrifices We Make</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written as a different take on "The Gift of the Magi" for school. I found it and thought others may enjoy it, so here it is. Virgil's name was changed to Trista, and Patton's name was changed to Patrizia. I also gave Deceit the name of Dean. Anyhoo! Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <a href="https://youtu.be/oVrovpQeoL0">Audio for Story ( Starts at 3:47)</a>
</p><p>Trista walked out of the police station to meet her happy family. She had finally been found after years of being missing. When she was six, there had been a man that was looking for directions. She had been with her friend Thomas. Thomas was about to go up to the man, but Trista had stopped him and went up to the man for him. She was grabbed, and her family had been searching ever since. Now, after eleven years, she was back. She just wondered if she would even recognize her friends. When she reached her family, she was embraced in a loving hug. Even though she loved her family, touch made her uncomfortable. They sensed her discomfort and backed up. Her mother gave her a comforting smile and gestured to the car.</p><p>Her father was looking at her hard, and she glanced down. She was wearing a dark blue hoodie and purple jeans. She looked back at him and asked him, “What is it? Is there something wrong?”</p><p>Her father blinked in surprise, “Oh! No! Nothing is wrong. I was just noting how different you look. Your hair is lighter than it used to be. You are also paler.”</p><p>Trista shrugged, “It’s been a while. My hair is just a lighter brown because I am older, and I wasn’t really in the sun. That explains why I look different.”</p><p>He nodded and opened the car door to let Trista in. After she was in, buckled, and the door shut, they drove home. Trista wanted to start school as soon as possible, so her parents managed to arrange with the public school for Trista to go to school the next day. That night, her mother came to her room and knocked on the door. Trista called out that her mother could come in.</p><p>Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and gave Trista a concerned look, “I know today has been crazy. I was just wanting to check in on you, see how you’re doing. If that’s okay.”</p><p>Trista smiled, “It’s fine, mom. I think I am doing okay. It’s an adjustment, but I will be great eventually.”</p><p>Her mother smiled, “That is a good attitude to have. Rest well. You have a big day tomorrow.”</p><p>With that, her mother left the room and let Trista sleep. The morning seemed to come fast, and when Trista woke up, for a second, she forgot that she had escaped. She slowly remembered as she took in her surroundings. There was a ding coming from the hallway, and a rattling sound followed. Trista opened the door to reveal a cat playing with rattling toy. There was a bell on its collar that jingled every time it pounced on the toy. Trista knelt down, and the cat looked at Trista with one blue eye and one brown one. Trista gasped, and the cat started purring. It came to rub against Trista’s legs as she processed the fact that it had the same colored eyes as her.</p><p>She stood up, “Mom? Why do you have a cat with the same colored eyes as me?”</p><p>There was a crash from the kitchen, “Oh! You met Lilith!”</p><p>Trista walked out to the kitchen. It’s cool blue walls welcoming. The deep green counters reflecting the light of the grey chandeliers. She saw her mother picking up a pan, “Yeah, Mom. Uh, do you mind explaining?”</p><p>Her mother paused, “Lilith showed up a few years after you were kidnapped, and we tried to find her owners. No one would claim her, and the pound was full. That led to us taking her in, and now she has been with us for years.”</p><p>Trista stood there for a moment, shocked, “You got a cat . . . that has my eyes.”</p><p>Her mother set the pan down, “Umm, yeah, what do you want for breakfast?”</p><p>Trista sat down at the table, “I think I will just get a yogurt.”</p><p>“Oh, okay.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mom.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>Trista smiled, “For never giving up on me.”</p><p>Her mother gave her a watery smile, “I’ll never give up on you.” She handed a yogurt to Trista and sighed, “You had better get going, or you’ll be late.”</p><p>Trista stood up and headed out the door, waving goodbye, “See you after school, Mom.”</p><p>Her mother waved goodbye to her back, “Have a good day, Sweetheart.”</p><p>The day was sunny and there was a light breeze that gave a welcome hello to everyone it passed. Everything was peaceful with the brilliant red and orange leaves of autumn swaying, and some birds chirping filling the air. That is until Trista heard a screaming, and someone plowed into her. They fell in a tangle of limbs, pain surfacing as they bumped elbows and heads. This made iit so that Trista was inwardly having an anxiety attack from the contact. She peeled herself from the other person and stood up. The other person was trying to get up, but their bag was too heavy. Trista sighed and figured that if she was already freaking out, she might as well help them up. With that, she reached out and grabbed their arm, pulling her into a standing position.</p><p>She was wearing a light blue jacket with a cat on the pocket, “I am so sorry! I am just running late to meet a friend.”</p><p>Trista shrugged, “It’s fine.”</p><p>“Well, I’m Patrizia.”</p><p>Trista smiled, “I am Trista. Nice to meet you.”</p><p>Patrizia’s jaw dropped, “Trista? You’re back! It’s me. We were friends when we were six.”</p><p>Trista nodded, “I know.”</p><p>Patrizia squealed and grabbed Trista’s hand and practically dragged her to where she was meeting her friend, “Logan! Trista’s back!”</p><p>Logan turned; his blue tie shifting in the breeze over his black shirt, “That is incredible. Are you feeling stable, Trista?”</p><p>Trista gave him a nod, and they all began walking toward the school. They were almost halfway there when Roman walked up with Thomas. As they walked up, Thomas saw her, and his jaw dropped like a lead weight, “Trista?”</p><p>She gave him a smile, “How are you doing, lil’ Thomas?”</p><p>Thomas’s face broke into a smile, “I have been doing okay. I am glad you’re back.”</p><p>“I am glad to be back. How are you doing Roman?”</p><p>Roman smiled, “Glad to have the brown haired gang back together.”</p><p>Trista shook her head, “Please, do not tell me you have been calling us that for the eleven years.”</p><p>Roman gave her a flirtatious smirk, “Fine, I won’t tell you.”</p><p>Trista looked at Logan, “Please tell me that he hasn’t turned into a huge flirt.”</p><p>Logan gave her a bored look and replied drily, “I would, but lying is wrong.”</p><p>Trista looked at the sky, “Oh, save me now.”</p><p>Patrizia checked her watch, “Guys, we need to get going. If we don’t get there fast, we will be late.”</p><p>Roman smiled, “Well, my house is right there, so we can just take my car.”</p><p>Thomas felt Roman’s forehead, “Dude, are you okay? You never let us ride in your car.”</p><p>Roman smiled, “I had to get it cleaned. My brother keeps on borrowing it and turns it into a mess. I just hope he hasn’t trashed it since I cleaned it last night.”</p><p>Thomas nodded, “Ah, your vanity. You do realize, we don’t care what you or your car looks like, right?”</p><p>Roman chuckled, “Okay, okay. Now, let’s get to school. I promised Nicole that I would meet her at her locker. She’s having trouble in Physics.”</p><p>They piled into the car and got to school. Everyone greeted Roman as he escorted Trista to the office to get her schedule. Trista told him that she could find the office by herself, but he insisted on taking her all of the way there. Trista got her schedule and discovered that she had at least one of her friends in each of her classes. Months passed, and the group became closer than ever. Trista finally allowed physical contact, and Patrizia made sure to give her hugs every single time they met up to hang out. Everything was going great, and Trista knew that her friends were the most important thing in this world to her. That is what made what came after all those happy months so hard. Trista was walking to meet up with the others for lunch. She was just about to round the corner when she heard their voices.</p><p>Dean, the person Trista nicknamed as the jerk of the school, was there also, and he was speaking to them, “ . . . know you want to agree with me. She is a freak.”</p><p>Patrizia’s voice was hard, “She is not a freak. She may be different, but she isn’t a freak.”</p><p>Dean gave a dark chuckle, “You four are crazy to be hanging out with that freak. We have been taunting you and shoving you into lockers for months. Just stop being her friend already. If you do, we will leave you alone.”</p><p>Trista took a step back. They had been being bullied because of her. She ran to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. As she looked in the mirror, she realized how important her friends were to her. She didn’t want to be without their friendship, but she wanted them to be happy. With a heavy heart, she made the decision. She was going to stop hanging out with them. She could attempt to regain their friendship after high school, but she need to stop being their friend now. She had to protect them. When she walked out, she didn’t go and join them. She just went to an empty classroom and ate her lunch.</p><p>Several agonizing months passed. Roman was still a popular person and valued it very much. Patrizia was still trying to be her friend, but after some tries at school and then after school, she was only trying after school. Logan was the only one that still held some contact with her, and that was just texting. He knew why she stopped being their friend, and he had tried to convince her that there was no reason not to be friends. She maintained her stubborn position that this was what was best for them. Now, it is Christmas Eve, and Trista sat in the library, alone. Her mother probably thought she was at one of the others’ houses. She sat reading a book.</p><p>Then, she heard Dean’s voice, and anger burned in her chest, “Trista the freak. I knew you would be here.”</p><p>She gave him a bored look, not revealing her anger, “What do you want, Dean?”</p><p>Dean sat down across from her, “I just wanted to come and see the freak in action. I mean, we have so few in this town; I had to come see it.”</p><p>Trista gave him a cold smile, “Look in the mirror if you want to see something unique.”</p><p>Dean raised an eyebrow, “And what would that be?”</p><p>“A jerk that is jealous of the freak. I think that is even more rare than a freak.”</p><p>Dean snorted out a laugh, “I am not jealous of you.”</p><p>“Then why do you hate me so much? Is it because I look easy to pick on? Like I won’t fight back?”</p><p>Dean leaned forward, “I hate you because you are a freak. Who flinches if someone so much as bumps into them?”</p><p>He grabbed her wrist, knowing she would try to jerk it away, “Let go of me, Dean”</p><p>He smiled, tightening his grip, “Avoid making friends, freak. They will leave you once I get involved.”</p><p>Just then, a hand pulled Dean’s hand from her wrist. It was Roman, and he looked mad, “Leave her alone, Dean.”</p><p>Dean yanked his arm away from Roman, “Or what? You value your popularity too much to do anything to me.”</p><p>Roman got in his face, and his voice was a low growl, "I may like my popularity and value it, but I would give it up for my friendship with Trista. Threaten me all you like. I am not going to stand aside and let you bully her anymore."</p><p>Dean snarled and stormed off, leaving an angry Roman and stunned Trista behind.</p><p>Trista gaped at him and whispered, “Why would you do that? Your popularity is something you value the most. Why would you give it up?”</p><p>Roman sat down across from her, “Trista, you gave up your friendship with us in order to protect us. I do love and value my popularity. I valued it as much or even more than my friends. You taught me that, sometimes, you have to give up the thing you value the most in the world to protect, and bring happiness to, the people you love.”</p><p>Trista sighed, “But will you be happy?”</p><p>Roman grabbed her hand, “Trista, popularity lives and dies. I would have lost it once we graduated, but maybe I can get it back, wherever I go, after we get out of high school.”</p><p>Trista smiled, “Thank you, Roman. You gave me my friends back.”</p><p>Roman smiled, “You gave up your friends to bring us happiness. It was worth it.”</p><p>Trista gave his hand a squeeze, “You are an amazing friend.”</p><p>A kid leaned over and said in a sing-song voice, “Friendzoned.”</p><p>Roman’s face grew red, “What? I wasn’t- No, no, no.”</p><p>Trista buried her face in her hands and groaned, “Someone please save me.”</p><p>Trista regained her friends, and Roman, even though he had been serious, never truly lost his popularity. Dean, however, was hated by every single person in the school. No one in the group ever forgot about the sacrifices that Roman and Trista had made. They both gave up what they valued most in the world for each other. They taught everyone an important lesson. Friendships can rise and fall just from the sacrifices we make.</p><p>The End.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for the support! Stay safe! Have a great day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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